CHRISTI CLOETE: THE HEART BEHIND VARSITY CUP

Nehema Ntumba 

@nehema_ntumba

 

Varsity Cup has become a crown jewel in Potchefstroom, and many people see Varsity Cup as the invisible string that brings the Potchefstroom community together. The stands are filled with university students, high schoolers, lecturers, families, etc. The Varsity Cup has not only acted as entertainment but also the perfect family night out outing. This competition has continued to garnier support each year, however behind this spectacle is a woman who runs the show but doesn’t get as much recognition as she should.

 

Christi Cloete works in the NWU Corporate Communication department, as the university doesn’t have a Sports Department dedicated to Varsity Cup. She takes on the role as the organiser of the entire event, and she does everything except for playing the sport itself. Every year around October and September, all the Varsity Cup organisers from the different universities go to Cape Town for a getaway, to share their ideas and plans for the upcoming season the following year.

 

This year, the students of the NWU were graced with the presence of Rassie Erasmus, and it was all thanks to Christi. However, despite the many successes that came with the 2025 season, there were still many obstacles to overcome, namely the illegal reselling of tickets and the unexpected weather conditions.

 

This year, the university saw a huge rise in students purchasing tickets in bulk and reselling them for double the price to make a profit. This new trend posed a huge challenge, as many students found it difficult to purchase tickets for the game. Despite this challenge, Christi and her team did their best to tackle this issue and resolve it to the best of their capabilities, by cancelling tickets on the system and limiting the amount of tickets a single individual may purchase.

 

One of the most unexpected challenges this year was the weather. The rainy days that came out of nowhere was one of this biggest challenge during this season. It resulted in many things that were planned to happen to be cancelled, but despite the changes that had to be made, the weather didn’t stop people from supporting their beloved Eagles. Christi stated that the highlight of this year’s season was the UJ v Eagles game, where 3000 people remained in the stands despite the terrible weather conditions. It reminded her that even though every game doesn’t have a big show, fireworks and Rassie Erasmus, it will still be successful because of how much Varsity Cup means to the people in Potchefstroom.

 

I asked Christi an important question during the interview that is something that we have all been wondering, “Will the Eagles ever be able to replicate the success of 2023?” She answered, “Yes , I do believe they can. One day we’ll bring that trophy home again.”

 

So to our future Eagles that will become Varsity Cup winners, we are rooting for you and have faith in you and don’t forget your maestro Christi Cloete will be in the background rooting for you.